Albany guard Gerardo Suero drives the ball as Pittsburgh guard Cameron Wright (3) and Nasir Robinson (35) defend during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in Pittsburgh.

Albany guard Gerardo Suero drives the ball as Pittsburgh guard Cameron Wright (3) and Nasir Robinson (35) defend during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH -- When it was over, and the expected lopsided victory had been safely secured, Jamie Dixon, the coach of the 10th-best team in the country, said all the right things.

"I think Albany is a very good team," Dixon said after Pittsburgh manhandled the Great Danes 89-56 Friday night at Petersen Events Center. "And you are going to see that as they go forward and get into America East play."

Dixon is a good friend of UAlbany coach Will Brown and friends say nice things about each other.

Dixon was standing alone outside the media room following his press conference and while he was praising the Danes, he was fairly gushing about the Panthers, who had absolutely no resistance from UAlbany. Pitt, also playing its opener, got a career high 25 points from junior guard Tray Woodall and 21 from Ashton Gibbs, the Big East's preseason Player of the Year.

Gibbs said it wasn't too much of a chore to get up for the Danes. The game was played in front of 10,125, and, certainly the decibel level was not as high as it might be for a Big East game against Syracuse or Connecticut.

"It wasn't hard at all," Gibbs said. "It was our first game, and I was excited to play, to just get out there. We are into it now."

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Gibbs and Woodall took their long-distance practice against the Danes, who didn't seem to have any answers to stopping the two. Even when either player had a Great Dane smothering him, shots were taken and shots were made.

"We are pretty good," Dixon said with a shrug.

UAlbany might be too, before the season ends, and the Danes get back into more realistic competition. This was not one of those nights. Pitt was bigger, stronger, faster, quicker and much more athletic. The Danes were up against it from the start.

"Obviously, Pitt did a terrific job," Brown said. "We didn't play great defense."

The Panthers put this one away early. They never trailed and took a 47-26 lead into halftime as Gibbs scored 15 points.

"You play a team like Pitt and give up 47 points in a half ... game over," Brown said. "You are not going to be able to match them, point wise. I told our kids not to hang their heads, acting like we just got upset. We had to play very well just to have a chance to win that game. I think we were shocked at how well they shot the ball."

Pitt shot 54 percent from the field, outrebounded the Danes 35-23, and had 24 assists to seven for UAlbany.

From 3-point range, the Panthers outscored UAlbany 39-9.

UAlbany never led in the game. The Danes were within nine at 17-8 before a 3-pointer by Woodall with 12:29 left in the first half gave Pitt a 20-8 lead. The Danes would never get closer than that.

"They really shot the ball," said UAlbany junior tri-captain Logan Aronhalt, one of three Danes in double figures with 13 points. "That is a good basketball team."

There were bright spots for UAlbany. Junior guard Gerardo Suero, who came into the program with a reputation as a scorer, led the Danes with 17 points, and junior Mike Black added 11 points.

The Great Danes will practice here during the day Saturday and then take a bus ride to Syracuse, where they will play their next two games. UAlbany takes on Brown on Monday night as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off. The game will be played in the Carrier Dome. If UAlbany beats Brown, it will play either Syracuse -- ranked fifth in the nation -- or Manhattan on Tuesday. That game will also be at the Dome.

Brown said the Danes will limp out of Pennsylvania. Sophomore forward Luke Devlin, who scored just two points in 26 minutes, is still recovering from off-season back surgery.

Sophomore center John Puk, was limited to just 13 minutes. Last year he was hobbled with an Achilles problem in his right foot. Now he has what Brown says is a circulation problem in his left leg.

"It swelled up like you wouldn't believe," Brown said. "He is on heavy antibiotics right now and we didn't know if he was even going to play (Friday)."

Brown said Puk will not practice Saturday or Sunday. His status for the next two game is questionable, at best.